One-party state

Not to be confused with Dominant-party system.

This article is about one-party political states. For telephone call recording laws and notification and requirements, see Telephone call recording laws § One-party consent states. For the album, see One Party State (album). For other uses, see One party (disambiguation).

A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system.^[1] In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or enjoy limited and controlled participation in elections. The term "de facto one-party state" is sometimes used to describe a dominant-party system that, unlike a one-party state, allows (at least nominally) multiparty elections, but the existing practices or balance of political power effectively prevent the opposition from winning power.^[2]

Membership in the ruling party tends to be relatively small compared to the population.^[3] Rather, they give out private goods to fellow elites to ensure continued support. One-party, compared to dominant-party dictatorships, structure themselves unlike democracies. They also turn into multi-party democracies at a lower rate than dominant-party dictatorships.^[4] While one-party states prohibit opposition parties, some allow for independent canditates to stand for election in competition with party candidates. Therefore, they place elites and sympathetic candidates in key administrative races.^[5] For example, the Chinese Communist Party exercises political control by infiltrating village administrations.^[6] They view these positions as crucial for gathering information on the population and maintaining a presence in the far reaches of their borders.^[7]

One-party states recognize the trade-off between election victory and gathering valuable data.^[8] To account for this, the regimes have been observed placing local nobility in easy-to-win races.^[9] One-party states have also been observed using elections to ensure that only the most popular elites get chosen to office.^[10] They also gather data from elections to indicate if a local official is performing poorly in the eyes of the residents.^[10] This gives locals the opportunity to monitor local officials and communicate satisfaction with the local government.^[10] Throughout the country, members of the one party hold key political positions.^[4] In doing so, the party avoids committing outright fraud and rather sustains their power at the local level with strategic appointment of elites.^[7] Data on one-party regimes can be difficult to gather given their lack of transparency.^[5]

Current one-party states

As of 2025, the following countries are legally constituted as one-party states:

Country	Head of party	Leader title	Party	Ideology	Date of establishment	Duration	Notes
China[11]	Xi Jinping	General Secretary	Chinese Communist Party	Socialism with Chinese characteristics	1 October 1949	75 years, 217 days	Eight minor parties have legal status as part of the "united front" system, but their leadership is determined by the Chinese Communist Party's United Front Work Department[12]
Cuba[13]	Miguel Díaz-Canel	First Secretary	Communist Party of Cuba	Marxism–Leninism, Castroism, Guevarism, Left-wing nationalism	3 October 1965	64 years, 20 days
Eritrea[14]	Isaias Afwerki	Chairperson	People's Front for Democracy and Justice	Eritrean nationalism, Statism	16 February 1994	31 years, 79 days
Laos[15]	Thongloun Sisoulith	General Secretary	Lao People's Revolutionary Party	Kaysone Phomvihane Thought	2 December 1975	49 years, 155 days
North Korea[16]	Kim Jong-un	General Secretary	Workers' Party of Korea	Kimilsungism–Kimjongilism	9 September 1948	76 years, 239 days	Two minor parties are legally recognised, but are under the control of the Workers' Party of Korea[17]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	Brahim Ghali	Secretary General	Polisario Front	Sahrawi nationalism, Arab socialism	27 February 1976	49 years, 68 days	State with limited recognition, headquartered in Algeria
Vietnam[18]	Tô Lâm	General Secretary	Communist Party of Vietnam	Ho Chi Minh Thought	2 September 1945[note 1]	50 years, 6 days	Two minor parties, the Democratic Party of Vietnam and Socialist Party of Vietnam, had legal status within the Vietnam Fatherland Front until 1988

De facto one-party states

A de facto one-party system is one that, while not officially linking a single political party to governmental power, utilizes some means of political manipulation to ensure only one party stays in power.^[22] Many different countries have been claimed to be de facto one-party states, with differing levels of agreement between scholars, although most agree that the African continent is marked by this political system.^[23][24][25] Below are just a few examples of governments that have been claimed to have single party rule due to political manipulation.

Country	Party	Date of establishment	Information
Cambodia	Cambodian People's Party	2017	While Cambodia is constitutionally a multi-party state,[26] the Cambodian People's Party dominates its political system, and the party dissolved its main opposition party in 2017, making Cambodia a de facto one-party state.[27]
Cameroon	Cameroon People's Democratic Movement	1997	Although multiparty elections have been held since 1992 and other parties have minimal legislative seats, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), the ruling party since independence, has always retained control of the National Assembly. The Cameroonian political system invests overwhelming power in the hands of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, and the RDPC exists essentially to support Biya and his policies. The RDPC has held supermajorities in the National Assembly since 2002, and in the Senate since its formation in 2013.
El Salvador	Nuevas Ideas	2024	While El Salvador has had multiparty elections since the end of military rule in 1982, the country has seen significant consolidation of power under Nayib Bukele and his party, Nuevas Ideas. The party secured a supermajority in the Legislative Assembly in the 2021 Salvadoran legislative election with 56 seats out of 84, but solidified near-total control over the assembly in the 2024 Salvadoran legislative election with their coalition securing 57 out of 60 seats. [28]
Equatorial Guinea	Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea	2013	Equatorial Guinea, historically a one party-state under the PDGE from 1987-1992, has one nominal opposition party with the Convergence for Social Democracy. However, the opposition has only held at most 2 seats in the Chamber of Deputies since 1999, and had held no seats in neither the Chamber of Deputies or the Senate since 2013. The PDGE, by comparison, has held all seats in the Senate since 2013 and in the Chamber of Deputies since 2022.
Nicaragua	Sandinista National Liberation Front	2021	Although Nicaragua has been practicing multiparty elections since 1990, the country has become a de facto one-party state with Sandinista National Liberation Front as the sole dominating party and was consolidated after the 2021 Nicaraguan general election.[29]
Nigeria	All Progressives Congress	2015	Although Nigeria is constitutionally a multi-party democracy, the country has increasingly functioned as a de facto one-party state since the All Progressives Congress (APC) assumed power in 2015. The APC has consolidated control over the presidency, National Assembly, and a majority of state governments. In March 2025, President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers State, suspending the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) governor and legislature, a move widely criticized as politically motivated.[30] The PDP has been further weakened by internal divisions and defections, with some of its governors and leaders publicly endorsing President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.[31] Analysts suggest that the opposition's fragmentation and the APC's dominance indicate a trajectory toward one-party rule in the upcoming 2027 general elections.[32]
Rwanda	Rwandan Patriotic Front	1994	Although Rwanda nominally allows for multiparty elections, they are manipulated in various ways, which include the banning of opposition parties, the arrests or assassinations of critics, and electoral fraud.[33][34]
Venezuela[35]	United Socialist Party of Venezuela	2017	Since 2014, the country has been going through a period of crisis of legitimacy and exceptionality due to the order to close the National Assembly and the convocation of a Constituent Assembly by Nicolás Maduro on May 1, 2017, composed mostly of PSUV politicians. Since then, different laws have been approved to restrict political participation, including informal persecution and the disqualification of certain politicians (including complaints of electoral fraud), concluding in 2024, at which point, because of new laws, the majority of opposition politicians have been disqualified and their organizations banned, leaving only a controlled opposition.[36][37]

Former one-party states

Country	Party	Ideology	Date of establishment	Date of dissolution	Duration	Continent
Republic of Afghanistan	National Revolutionary Party	Pashtun nationalism, Pashtunization, Republicanism, Secularism	14 February 1977[38][39]	28 April 1978	1 year, 73 days	Asia
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan-Khalq	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Stalinism, Pashtun nationalism, Anti-imperialism	30 April 1978	24 December 1979	1 year, 238 days	Asia
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan/Republic of Afghanistan	People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan-Parcham (National Fatherland Front)	Communism (until 1990), Marxism–Leninism (until 1990), Afghan nationalism, Anti-imperialism	24 December 1979	28 July 1992	12 years, 217 days	Asia
Albanian Kingdom	Albanian Fascist Party	Albanian nationalism, Greater Albania, Fascism, Italophilia, Serbophobia, Hellenophobia	2 June 1939	27 July 1943	4 years, 55 days	Europe
Albanian Kingdom	Guard of Greater Albania	Albanian nationalism, Fascism	27 July 1943	8 September 1943	43 days	Europe
Albanian Kingdom	National Front	Albanian nationalism, Greater Albania, Anti-communism, Republicanism, Big tent, Agrarian socialism	14 September 1943	29 November 1943	76 days	Europe
Democratic Government of Albania	Party of Labour of Albania (National Liberation Movement)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Hoxhaism, Anti-revisionism, Albanian nationalism, State Atheism	20 October 1944	5 August 1945	289 days	Europe
Democratic Government of Albania	Party of Labour of Albania (Democratic Front)		5 August 1945	11 January 1946	159 days	Europe
Albania			11 January 1946	11 December 1990	44 years, 334 days	Europe
Algeria	National Liberation Front	Arab socialism, Algerian nationalism, Pan-Arabism, Anti-imperialism	3 July 1962	23 February 1989	26 years, 235 days	Africa
People's Republic of Angola	People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola	Communism, Left-wing nationalism, Marxism–Leninism	11 November 1975	30 May 1991	15 years, 200 days	Africa
Armenia	Communist Party of Armenia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	2 December 1920	30 December 1922	2 years, 28 days	Asia
Transcaucasia	Communist Party of Armenia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	12 March 1922	30 December 1922	293 days	Asia
Federal State of Austria	Fatherland Front	Clerical fascism	1 May 1934	13 March 1938	3 years, 316 days	Europe
Azerbaijan	Azerbaijan Communist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	30 April 1920	30 December 1922	2 years, 244 days	Asia
Transcaucasia	Azerbaijan Communist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	12 March 1922	30 December 1922	293 days	Asia
Bangladesh	Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League	Mujibism, Bengali nationalism, Socialism	24 January 1975	15 August 1975	203 days	Asia
Bangladesh	Jatiya Party	Bangladeshi nationalism, Conservatism, Authoritarianism, Militarism	11 March 1988	6 December 1990	2 years, 270 days	Asia
Dahomey	Dahomeyan Democratic Party	African nationalism	15 December 1963	4 December 1965	1 year, 354 days	Africa
Benin	People's Revolutionary Party of Benin	Communism, Marxism–Leninism (nominally)	30 November 1975	1 March 1990	14 years, 91 days	Africa
Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia	National Partnership	Collaborationism, Nazism	6 April 1939	9 May 1945	6 years, 33 days	Europe
Bulgaria	Bulgarian Communist Party (Fatherland Front)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	15 September 1946	15 January 1990	43 years, 122 days	Europe
State of Burma	Dobama Sinyetha Asi Ayon[40]		1943	1944	1 year, 0 days	Asia
State of Burma	Maha Bama Asi Ayon[41]		1944	1945	1 year, 0 days	Asia
Burma	Burma Socialist Programme Party	Burmese Way to Socialism	2 March 1962	18 September 1988	26 years, 200 days	Asia
Republic of Burundi	Union for National Progress	Burundian nationalism, Tutsi interests	11 July 1974	13 March 1992	17 years, 246 days	Africa
Byelorussia	Communist Party of Byelorussia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	31 July 1920	30 December 1922	2 years, 152 days	Europe
Cambodia (Sangkum era)	Sangkum	Khmer nationalism, National conservatism, Royalism, Statism, Buddhist socialism, Economic nationalism	22 March 1955	18 March 1970	14 years, 361 days	Asia
Kampuchea	Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party	Communism, Socialism, Marxism–Leninism, Revisionism, Left-wing nationalism	7 January 1979	1 May 1989	10 years, 114 days	Asia
Republic of Cameroon	Cameroonian National Union	Big tent	1 September 1966[42]	24 March 1985	18 years, 204 days	Africa
Cameroon	Cameroon People's Democratic Movement	Big tent, Nationalism, Francophilia	1975	1990	15 years, 0 days	Africa
Cape Verde	African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	1 July 1975	20 January 1981	5 years, 203 days	Africa
Cape Verde	African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	20 January 1981	28 September 1990	9 years, 251 days	Africa
Carpatho-Ukraine	Ukrainian National Union [uk][43]	Nationalism[44]	18 January 1939[45]	March 1939	60 days	Europe
Central African Republic	Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa	African nationalism, Anti-colonialism, Progressivism, Anti-imperialism	1962	1980	18 years, 0 days	Africa
Central African Republic	Central African Democratic Union	African nationalism, Republicanism	1 March 1980	2 September 1981	1 year, 185 days	Africa
Central African Republic	Central African Democratic Rally	African nationalism, Democratic socialism, Social democracy, Republicanism	6 February 1987	22 April 1991[46]	4 years, 75 days	Africa
Chad	Chadian Progressive Party	African nationalism, Pan-Africanism, Anti-imperialism, African socialism, Federalism	16 April 1962	6 April 1973	10 years, 355 days	Africa
Chad	National Movement for the Cultural and Social Revolution	African nationalism, Pan-Africanism, Anti-imperialism, African socialism, Federalism	6 April 1973	13 April 1975	2 years, 7 days	Africa
Chad	National Union for Independence and Revolution	Nationalism	24 June 1984	3 December 1990	6 years, 162 days	Africa
Guangzhou	Chinese Communist Party	Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Chinese communism	1927	1927		Asia
Hunan	Chinese Communist Party	Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Chinese communism	1927	1927		Asia
Jinggang	Chinese Communist Party	Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Chinese communism	1927	1928	1 year, 0 days	Asia
Southwest Jiangxi	Chinese Communist Party	Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Chinese communism	1930	1931	1 year, 0 days	Asia
Chinese Soviet Republic	Chinese Communist Party	Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Chinese communism	7 November 1931	22 September 1937	5 years, 319 days	Asia
Xinjiang	People's Anti-Imperialist Association	Six Great Policies	1 August 1935	1 April 1942	6 years, 243 days	Asia
Republic of China[note 2]/Taiwan	Kuomintang	Tridemism	1 July 1925	15 July 1987	62 years, 14 days	Asia
Yan'an	Chinese Communist Party	Marxism–Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Chinese communism	1937	1949	12 years, 0 days	Asia
Comoros	Comorian Union for Progress	Nationalism	1982	1990	8 years, 0 days	Africa
People's Republic of the Congo	Congolese Party of Labour	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	31 January 1969	18 March 1992	23 years, 47 days	Africa
Tinoquista Costa Rica	Peliquista Party	Nationalism, Personalism, Authoritarianism	27 January 1917	12 August 1919	2 years, 197 days	North America
Czechoslovakia	Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (National Front)	Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism, Husakism	25 February 1948	30 November 1989	41 years, 278 days	Europe
Dahomey	Dahomeyan Unity Party	African nationalism, Republicanism	11 April 1961	13 November 1963	2 years, 216 days	Africa
Danzig	Nazi Party	Nazism	21 October 1937[47][48]	1 September 1939	1 year, 315 days	Europe
Djibouti	People's Rally for Progress	Issa interests	1 October 1981	4 September 1992	10 years, 339 days	Africa
Dominican Republic	Dominican Party	Trujillism, National conservatism, Right-wing populism, Antihaitianismo	2 August 1931	28 December 1961	30 years, 148 days	North America
East Germany	Socialist Unity Party of Germany (Democratic Bloc)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	7 October 1949	30 March 1950	174 days	Europe
East Germany	Socialist Unity Party of Germany (National Front of the German Democratic Republic)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	30 March 1950	1 December 1989	39 years, 246 days	Europe
Egypt	Liberation Rally	Egyptian nationalism, Pan-Arabism, Socialism	10 February 1953	1957	4 years, 0 days	Africa
Egypt	National Union	Nasserism, Pan-Arabism, Socialism	1957	1962	5 years, 0 days	Africa
Egypt	Arab Socialist Union	Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, Pan-Arabism, Nasserism	1961	1976	15 years, 0 days	Africa
Egypt	National Democratic Party	Egyptian nationalism, Big-Tent, Neo-liberalism	1976	2011	35 years, 0 days	Africa
El Salvador	National Pro Patria Party	Fascism, Anti-communism, Conservatism, Agrarian oligarchy	1933	1944	11 years, 0 days	Central America
Equatorial Guinea	United National Workers' Party	African nationalism, Personalism, Anti-imperialism, Anti-colonialism, Anti-racism, Pan-Africanism, Anti-intellectualism, Totalitarianism	7 July 1970	25 August 1979	9 years, 49 days	Africa
Equatorial Guinea	Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea	African nationalism, Militarism	11 October 1987	16 November 1991	4 years, 36 days	Africa
Eritrea	Eritrean People's Liberation Front	Left-wing nationalism	1991 (Provisional government) 1993 (Recognized state)	16 February 1994	3 years, 0 days	Africa
Estonia	Patriotic League (National Front for the Implementation of the Constitution)	Estonian nationalism, Personalism	9 March 1935	21 July 1940	5 years, 134 days	Europe
Estonia	Communist Party of Estonia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	21 July 1940	9 August 1940	19 days	Europe
Ethiopia	Commission for Organizing the Party of the Working People of Ethiopia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	12 September 1984	22 February 1987	2 years, 163 days	Africa
Ethiopia	Workers' Party of Ethiopia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	22 February 1987	28 April 1991	4 years, 65 days	Africa
Gabon	Gabonese Democratic Party	Conservatism	12 March 1968	22 May 1990	22 years, 71 days	Africa
Georgia	Communist Party of Georgia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	25 February 1921	30 December 1922	1 year, 308 days	Asia
Transcaucasia	Communist Party of Georgia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	12 March 1922	30 December 1922	293 days	Asia
Nazi Germany	National Socialist German Workers' Party	Nazism	14 July 1933	23 May 1945	11 years, 313 days	Europe
Reich Commissariat for the Occupied Dutch Territories	National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands	Collaborationism, Dutch irredentism, Dutch nationalism and Nazism	14 December 1941	6 May 1945	3 years, 143 days	Europe
Ghana	Convention People's Party	Nkrumaism, African socialism, African nationalism, Pan-Africanism	31 January 1964	24 February 1966	2 years, 24 days	Africa
Grenada	New Jewel Movement	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	13 March 1979	25 October 1983	4 years, 226 days	North America
Guatemala	Progressive Liberal Party	Ubicoism, Liberalism, Nationalism, Anti-communism	1931	1944		Central America
Guinea	Democratic Party of Guinea – African Democratic Rally	African nationalism, African socialism, Pan-Africanism	1960	1984		Africa
Guinea-Bissau	African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	1974	1991		Africa
Haiti	National Unity Party	Black nationalism, Haitian nationalism, Right-wing populism, Anti-communism, Anti-Americanism	14 June 1957	22 July 1985	28 years, 38 days	North America
Hawaii	Reform Party	Americanisation, Annexationism	4 July 1894	12 August 1898	4 years, 39 days	North America
Government of National Unity	Arrow Cross Party	Magyarism, Fascism, Collaborationism, Agrarianism	16 October 1944	7 May 1945	203 days	Europe
Hungary	Hungarian Working People's Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Stalinism	20 August 1949	31 October 1956	7 years, 72 days	Europe
Hungary	Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Kádárism	31 October 1956	16 October 1989	32 years, 350 days	Europe
Indonesia	Indonesian National Party	Nationalism, Marhaenism	17 August 1945	3 November 1945	78 days	Asia
Imperial State of Iran	Rastakhiz Party	Monarchism, Populism, Secularism, Democratic centralism, Third Position	2 March 1975	1 November 1978	3 years, 244 days	Asia
Iraq	Iraqi Arab Socialist Union	Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, Pan-Arabism, Nasserism	14 July 1964	17 July 1968	4 years, 3 days	Asia
Iraq	Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party	Saddamist Ba'athism, Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, Pan-Arabism, militarism	17 July 1968	9 April 2003	34 years, 266 days	Asia
Kingdom of Italy Libya	National Fascist Party Muslim Association of the Lictor	Fascism, Corporatism, Ultranationalism, Totalitarianism	17 May 1928[49] 9 January 1939	27 July 1943		Europe Africa
Italian Social Republic	Republican Fascist Party	Fascism, Corporatism, Ultranationalism, Totalitarianism, Antisemitism, Collaborationism	13 September 1943	28 April 1945		Europe
Ivory Coast	Democratic Party of Ivory Coast – African Democratic Rally	African nationalism, Conservatism, Populism, Houphouëtism, Pan-Africanism	1960	1990		Africa
Empire of Japan	Imperial Rule Assistance Association	Shōwa statism	1940	1945		Asia
Philippine Executive Commission	Association for Service to the New Philippines	Filipino nationalism, National conservatism, Fascism, Japanophilia, collaborationism	8 December 1942	14 October 1943	310 days	Asia
Kampuchea	Communist Party of Kampuchea	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Agrarianism, Autarky, Khmer nationalism, Ultranationalism	17 April 1975	7 January 1979	2 years, 265 days
Kenya	Kenya African National Union	Kenyan nationalism, Conservatism	1969 (de facto) 1982 (de jure)	1991		Africa
Independent State of Croatia	Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionary Movement	Croatian irredentism, Croatian ultranationalism, National conservatism, Social conservatism, Clerical fascism, Fascist corporatism, Political Catholicism, Anti-communism	10 April 1941	8 May 1945	4 years, 28 days	Europe
Latvia	Communist Party of Latvia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	17 December 1918	13 January 1920	1 year, 27 days	Europe
Latvia	Communist Party of Latvia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	21 July 1940	5 August 1940		Europe
Liberia	True Whig Party	Black conservatism, Centralization, Protectionism, Whiggism (until 1940s)	1878	April 1980		Africa
Libya	Arab Socialist Union	Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, Pan-Arabism, Nasserism	1971	1977		Africa
Lithuania–Byelorussia	Communist Party of Lithuania and Belorussia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	17 February 1919	17 July 1919		Europe
Lithuania	Lithuanian Nationalist Union	Lithuanian nationalism, National conservatism, Social conservatism, Fascist corporatism, Anti-communism	1926[50]	1940	14 years	Europe
Lithuania	Communist Party of Lithuania	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	21 July 1940	3 August 1940		Europe
Democratic Republic of Madagascar	National Front for the Defense of the Revolution	Left-wing nationalism, Scientific socialism	1976	1989		Africa
Malawi	Malawi Congress Party	Ubuntu, Conservatism, African nationalism, Anti-colonialism	1964	1993		Africa
Mali	Sudanese Union – African Democratic Rally	African nationalism, Pan-Africanism, African socialism	1960	1968		Africa
Mali	Democratic Union of the Malian People	African socialism, Democratic centralism	1976	1991		Africa
Manchukuo	Concordia Association	Fascism, Monarchism, Manchurian nationalism, Pan-Asianism, Anti-communism, Personalism, collaborationism	1 April 1932[51]	1 May 1945[51]		Asia
Mauritania	Mauritanian People's Party	Nationalism, Centralism, Islamic socialism	1961	1978		Africa
Mexico	Institutional Revolutionary Party	Revolutionary nationalism, Big tent	4 March 1929	2 July 2000	71 years, 120 days	North America
Mongolia	Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	1921	29 July 1990		Asia
Mozambique	FRELIMO	Marxism–Leninism	25 June 1975	1 December 1990	15 years, 159 days	Africa
Niger	Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally	African nationalism, Pan-Africanism	1960	1974		Africa
Niger	National Movement for the Development of Society	Conservatism	1989	1991		Africa
Vietnam (partially)	Workers' Party of North Vietnam (League for the Independence of Vietnam)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought	2 September 1945	1946[citation needed]		Asia
North Vietnam	Workers' Party of North Vietnam (Vietnamese Fatherland Front)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought	1955	2 July 1976		Asia
North Yemen	General People's Congress	Yemeni nationalism, Arab nationalism, Pan-Arabism, Big tent	1982	1988		Asia
National Government	National Rally	Fascism, Nazism, Fascist corporatism, Anti-communism, Collaborationism	25 September 1940	8 May 1945	4 years, 225 days	Europe
Ottoman Empire	Union and Progress Party[52]	İttihadism	11 June 1913	1918		Asia/Europe
Paraguay	Colorado Party	Conservatism, national conservatism	1947	1962		South America
Persia	Communist Party of Persia	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	1920	1921		Asia
Republic of the Philippines	Association for Service to the New Philippines	Filipino nationalism, National conservatism, Fascism, Japanophilia, collaborationism	14 October 1943	17 August 1945		Asia
Poland	Polish United Workers' Party (Front of National Unity)	Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	5 February 1947	July 1982		Europe
Poland	Polish United Workers' Party (Patriotic Movement for National Rebirth)	Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	July 1982	24 August 1989		Europe
Portugal	National Union	Salazarism, corporatism, Integralismo Lusitano	30 July 1930[53]	8 October 1945[53]		Europe
Portugal	National Union	Salazarism, corporatism, Integralismo Lusitano	31 January 1948[54]	September 1969[note 3]		Europe
Portugal	People's National Action (formerly National Union)	Corporatism, Integralismo Lusitano	1970	25 April 1974		Europe
Romania	National Renaissance Front	Big tent, Romanian nationalism, Monarchism	16 December 1938	6 September 1940		Europe
National Legionary State	Iron Guard	Legionarism, clerical fascism, Christian nationalism	6 September 1940	23 January 1941		Europe
Romania	Romanian Communist Party (People's Democratic Front)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	5 February 1948	1968		Europe
Romania	Romanian Communist Party (Front of Socialist Unity)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, National Communism	1968	1980		Europe
Romania	Romanian Communist Party (Front of Socialist Unity and Democracy)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, National Communism	1980	29 December 1989		Europe
Rwanda	Parmehutu	Hutu Power	1965	1973		Africa
Rwanda	National Revolutionary Movement for Development	Hutu Power, Ultranationalism, Social conservatism, Anti-communism	1978	1991		Africa
San Marino	Sammarinese Fascist Party	Italian fascism, Corporatism	1926	1943		Europe
San Marino	Republican Fascist Party of San Marino	Italian fascism	1943	1944		Europe
Senegal	Socialist Party of Senegal	African nationalism, African socialism	1966	1974		Africa
Seychelles	Seychelles People's Progressive Front	Communism, Marxism-Leninism	1979	1991		Africa
Sierra Leone	All People's Congress	African nationalism, Democratic socialism	1978	1991		Africa
Slovak Republic	Hlinka's Slovak People's Party – Party of Slovak National Unity	Clerical fascism, Slovak nationalism	14 March 1939	8 May 1945		Europe
Somalia	Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party	Islamic socialism, Marxism–Leninism, Pan-Somalism Scientific socialism, Somali nationalism	July 1976	26 January 1991		Africa
People's Republic of Southern Yemen	National Liberation Front, Yemeni Socialist Party	Arab nationalism, Arab socialism	30 November 1967	31 October 1978		Asia
People's Democratic Republic of Yemen	Yemeni Socialist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	31 October 1978	22 May 1990		Asia
Democratic Republic of Yemen	Yemeni Socialist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	21 May 1994	7 July 1994		Asia
Estonia	Russian Communist Party (Central Committee of the Estonian Sections)	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	29 November 1918	5 June 1919	188 days	Europe
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic	Russian Communist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	8 March 1918[55]	30 December 1922	4 years, 297 days	Europe/Asia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic	Russian Social Democratic Labour Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	19 January 1918	8 March 1918[55]	48 days	Europe/Asia
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics	Russian Communist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	30 December 1922	31 December 1925[55]	3 years, 1 day	Europe/Asia
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics	All-Union Communist Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism, Stalinism	31 December 1925[55]	13 October 1952[55]	26 years, 287 days	Europe/Asia
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics	Communist Party of the Soviet Union	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	13 October 1952[55]	9 October 1990[56]	37 years, 361 days	Europe/Asia
Kingdom of Spain	Patriotic Union	Spanish nationalism, Political Catholicism, Monarchism, Conservatism	1924	1930		Europe
Spanish State	FET y de las JONS	Francoism, Falangism, Spanish nationalism, traditionalism, National Catholicism, anti-liberalism, corporatism	1 April 1939	6 July 1976[57]		Europe
Democratic Republic of the Sudan	Sudanese Socialist Union	Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, Anti-communism	1971	1985		Africa
Sudan	National Congress Party	Islamism, Arab nationalism, Salafism, Social conservatism	1989	2005		Africa
Syrian Republic	Arab Liberation Movement	Pan-Arabism, Modernization, Pro-Western	1953	1954		Asia
Syrian Arab Republic	Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party (National Progressive Front)	Neo-Ba'athism	8 March 1963	27 February 2012[58][59] 8 December 2024 (de-facto) [note 4][60]		Asia
São Tomé and Príncipe	Movement for the Liberation of São Tomé and Príncipe – Social Democratic Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism	1975	1990		Africa
Tanganyika	Tanganyika African National Union	African nationalism, African socialism, Ujamaa	1961	1977		Africa
Tanzania	Chama Cha Mapinduzi	Ujamaa, African socialism	1977	1992		Africa
Togo	Party of Togolese Unity	African nationalism	1962	1963		Africa
Togo	Rally of the Togolese People	African nationalism, Right-wing populism	1969	1991		Africa
Tunisia	Neo Destour	Tunisian nationalism, Bourguibism, Arab nationalism, secularism	1963	1964		Africa
Tunisia	Socialist Destourian Party	Tunisian nationalism, Secularism, Bourguibism	1964	1981		Africa
Turkey (one-party period)	Republican People's Party	Kemalism	1923	1945		Asia/Europe
Turkmenistan	Democratic Party of Turkmenistan	Turkmen nationalism, Secularism, Social conservatism, Catch-all party	1992	2008		Asia
Tuva	Tuvan People's Revolutionary Party	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	14 August 1921	11 October 1944		Asia
Uganda	Uganda People's Congress	Social democracy, African nationalism, Pan-Africanism	1969	1971		Africa
Ukraine	Communist Party of Ukraine	Communism, Marxism–Leninism, democratic centralism, state socialism	10 March 1919	30 December 1922		Europe
United Arab Republic	National Union	Arab nationalism, Arab socialism, Pan-Arabism	1958	1961		Africa
Upper Volta	Voltaic Democratic Union-African Democratic Rally	African nationalism, Pan-Africanism	1960	1966		Africa
Yugoslavia	Yugoslav Radical Peasants' Democracy	Royalism, Yugoslav nationalism, Agrarianism, Centralism, Anti-liberalism	1929	1931		Europe
Yugoslavia	League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Socialist Alliance of Working People of Yugoslavia)	Marxism–Leninism, Titoism, Yugoslavism	29 November 1945	22 January 1990		Europe
Zaire	Popular Movement of the Revolution	Mobutism, Zairean nationalism, Authenticité	1970	1990		Africa
Zambia	United National Independence Party	African socialism, African nationalism	1972	1990		Africa
Zanzibar	Afro-Shirazi Party	African nationalism, Marxism–Leninism	1964	1977		Africa

See also

• Dominant-party system
• Ban on factions in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
• Multi-party system
• Outline of democracy
• Political factionalism
• Political organisation
• Two-party system
• Uniparty
• Unitary parliamentary republic
• Landslide victory

Notes

1. Previously known as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam from 2 September 1945 to 25 April 1976.^[19] Reunified with the Republic of South Vietnam on 2 July 1976.^[20][21]
2. The Republic of China controlled the mainland from 1912 to 1949 and the island of Taiwan since 1945, in which the ROC currently administers the Free area. This government served China in the United Nations from 1945 to 1971. See Political status of Taiwan and the One-China policy for various viewpoints.
3. Following the appointment of Marcelo Caetano as Prime Minister in 1968, the opposition was allowed to run to the 1969 Portuguese legislative election, before being banned.
4. While the 2012 constitution introduced by Bashar al-Assad theoretically enabled the establishment of political parties, Ba'athist Syria remained a de-facto one-party state with an extensive secret police apparatus that curtails independent political activities.